Using seaweed in animal feed could impact the environment

A new report, Mapping the Intertidal Seaweed Resources of the Outer Hebrides, which looks into the possibility of farming seaweed from the ocean advises caution, the Scotsman reports.

The report's main author, marine biologist Dr Michael Burrows, says that intensive harvesting of seaweed could have a serious impact on the ecology of the sea and protecting the environment must be paramount.

"It was generally considered that management of the harvest needs an accepted management system in place that is based on sustainable principles, avoiding over harvesting of particular areas and without undue impact on other species," he told the newspaper.

Seaweed is already used in animal feeds, and with the cost of cereals remaining high and volatile, manufacturers are looking at new ingredients that can be used on a large scale.